Little Bei seized this opportunity. "See that, Mommy? My older brothers also think that you favored Xiao Wu."
As soon as Little Bei finished speaking, she heard Shao Nan's voice. "Little Bei, she's been quite good to you too."
"That's true." Little Bei concurred.
Mu Jingzhe: "…"
So long as there were two or more children, the problem of being biased would exist. She hadn't expected to encounter such a situation herself, let alone with five children.
Most importantly, she had to admit that she was indeed biased.
It wasn't that she didn't like Shao Dong, Shao Xi, and Shao Nan, but they were older and could take care of themselves. Furthermore, due to their personalities, she wasn't as close to them as she was to Little Bei and Xiao Wu.
Due to fate and chance, she had grown closer to Little Bei and Xiao Wu. The two of them were more obedient, likable, and attached to her.
Thus, she was indeed a little biased and cared more for them.
Mu Jingzhe gave the five of them an egg each and promised, "I'll try my best to be fair in the future."
Upon hearing this, Shao Dong and Shao Xi looked a little embarrassed and stopped talking.
After all, they felt like they were grown up, and a real man shouldn't behave like this. Besides… the two little ones had called her 'Mommy'. They weren't like Shao Dong and the rest.
Everyone in the village knew that Little Bei had shot an advertisement and even danced on TV.
Then, the full marks essay of the elementary school students was finally published. The school received a sample from the publishing house for Shao Xi.
The principal and the form teacher were both very excited. They even specially publicized this matter during the flag-raising ceremony and presented him with a merit award, as well as three sample books.
The school had kept two sample books for students to read so that everyone could learn from them in the future and strive to get their work published in the book as well.
The children of the Shao Family had all made something of themselves. These pitiful little children, who used to have no one to take care of in the past, had become role models other parents were now asking their kids to learn from.
After Shao Xi brought home the three sample books, he pretended to be calm and gave one to Mu Jingzhe.
"Take it if you like."
"Wow, thanks, Shao Xi. That's awesome."
Mu Jingzhe felt that Little Shao Xi exuded the air of a domineering CEO. She put it away carefully and said, "I'll cherish it. You have to keep yours too. You can leave one for everyone to read, but the other one you've got to store properly."
The corners of Shao Xi's mouth curled up. Though he had already decided to listen to her, he said, "There's no need to be so excited. There will be more in the future."
"Mm, I believe you!" Mu Jingzhe nodded vigorously.
Shy Shao Xi: "…"
What could he possibly reply to this?
He touched his nose and handed the essay that he had promised to write about their trip to the city to Mu Jingzhe.
Shao Xi's essay didn't mention meeting Shao Qihai, only his wish.
Shao Xi's true wish was hidden in his words.
He wanted his name and books to resonate throughout the world. In the future, he wanted to become a famous author and appear in newspapers and television shows. He wanted everyone to know his name and make it difficult for Shao Qihai to ignore it even if he wanted to.
He had to show Shao Qihai how outstanding and impressive he was and make him regret it.
Other than Xiao Wu, who hadn't written the essay, Shao Dong and his siblings' essays didn't mention Shao Qihai either. After Mu Jingzhe read them, she felt that their essays were similar in some ways.
For example, Little Bei had written that she wanted to appear on television more frequently in the future so everyone would get to know her.
"It's quite similar to their future paths in the novel."
The Dragon Boat Festival would be taking place on Wednesday.
Mu Jingzhe had wrapped all the salted and sweet dumplings and tied them with a five-colored thread.
The five-colored thread had been bought previously. It was said that it symbolized the five-colored dragon and could subdue demons and ghosts. It was also known as the 'longevity thread'. One would tie it on their wrist and pray to suppress evil and avoid poison, allowing one to live a long life.
"Left for male, right for female. Little Bei, tie it on your right hand. Shao Dong, Shao Xi, Shao Nan, and Xiao Wu, tie it on your left hand."
Mu Jingzhe followed the order. "I'll braid it for you so that it won't get caught on other objects."
In the past, during the Dragon Boat Festival, they basically hadn't been able to afford to eat expensive food like dumplings. Now, their stomachs were full from eating so much.
Although Mu Jingzhe said that eating too many dumplings wasn't good for digestion, they ended up eating to their heart's content—sweet dumplings, salty dumplings, as well as meat.
When had they ever had such a good holiday? Even Shao Dong ate merrily until his little tummy puffed up.
He looked at the five-colored thread, curiosity flashing in his eyes, but said, "Hmm, no need. I'm a guy…"
"You're a guy, which is why you're wearing it on your left hand. Hurry up."
"Hurry up, Brother!" Little Bei couldn't wait. She loved this the most.
In the past, she used to only tie Shao Xǐ's leftover threads. They weren't even five colors, and Shao Dong and the other boys simply hadn't tied any thread at all.
"You guys have never tied a thread before. Now, you have Mommy to help you tie it. How wonderful is that…"
Shao Dong stretched out his hand. "Thank you for the trouble."
"You're welcome. It's no trouble at all."
Mu Jingzhe helped each of them tie it, then even tied one around Little Bei and Xiao Wu's necks.
This was a custom in Great Eastern Village and its vicinity. Little Bei and Xiao Wu were delighted, but Shao Nan awkwardly said he did not want to tie it around his neck.
Mu Jingzhe didn't force him.
When they went to school in the afternoon, they would see everyone show off their five-colored thread and see whose thread looked better.
However, it only lasted for two days.
Soon, the five-colored threads would get dirty.
Before Little Bei's five-colored thread got dirty though, she made another trip to the county.
This time, it wasn't to shoot an advertisement but to do the voiceover of an animated show.
Previously, Little Bei had done an excellent job mimicking advertisements, and she could also speak a foreign language. These were all points in her favor. Thus, now that there was an opportunity to do a voiceover, she had naturally come to mind.
Though the remuneration wasn't much, it was nonetheless a good opportunity to develop her capabilities. Mu Jingzhe took her there again.
This time, she didn't bring the boys with her. While they were gone, Shao Dong and his siblings stayed in the county to continue their foreign language lessons before going to the county library to read.
The entire school was vying to read Shao Xi's elementary school essay.
Shao Xi, Shao Dong, and the others also read it. Xiao Wu, who hadn't officially gone to school yet, was eagerly watching from the sidelines.
The thirst for books was undoubtedly reflected in these voracious readers, and Mu Jingzhe belatedly realized that there was a scarcity of books in this era.
The school in Little Eastern Village didn't have any extracurricular reading material other than books.
The same applied to other villages. Even in towns, there were very few schools and no libraries at all. The conditions of that era paled greatly in comparison to the modern age.
Reading habits and how much a child read were crucial to them. Mu Jingzhe went to inquire after realizing this.
There was a library in the county that had a modest collection of books.
Mu Jingzhe thought of a way and asked Ji Buwang to help her apply for a library card.
With a library card, they could enter the library to read and even borrow books.
The five kids liked it a lot. To them, this was like opening the door to a new world.
However, there were some books that weren't suitable for them to read, and Mu Jingzhe had pointed those out to them.
When Mu Jingzhe brought Little Bei back, Xiao Wu ran over and clung to Mu Jingzhe.
"You're finally back, Mommy. We missed you so much."
Shao Dong and the rest didn't say anything, but they didn't deny it. Upon seeing their sparkling eyes, she could tell that they had really missed her.
Unknowingly, the children's attitude toward her had changed. Needless to say, Little Bei and Xiao Wu were now intimate with her and dependent on her. She had also grown much closer to the other three kids.
At first, she had simply thought of taking care of them.
However, when one faced these young and pitiful children, it was impossible to ignore them.
The main reason was that she could empathize with them. She used to be an orphan as well and had gone through the same thing. After suffering through that pain herself, she knew how terrible it was, so she couldn't bear to let them suffer.
Changes always went beyond plans. Their attitude toward her had changed, and so had her attitude toward them.
Before the kids' final exam, Mu Jingzhe recruited three more people and continued making hair accessories.
Just as she had expected, her hair accessories sold really well, with the butterfly hair clip being especially popular.
She had to expand the production before her designs were replicated elsewhere.
Compared to a factory, her business was just a small workshop.
However, Mu Jingzhe wasn't afraid, for there weren't many large factories in that era, and her small workshop was quite efficient.
The people she had hired were all hardworking, and their speed wasn't slow either. Everyone worked together quickly and formed the fastest production line possible.
Before the weather turned cold, Mu Jingzhe renovated the yard and used wooden planks and bricks to completely block out curious eyes. The place now finally looked like a factory.
She also set up a regulation system to make the factory's procedures more standardized.
She was familiar with these things.
The employees didn't work in the factory, but they had to clock in and out when they came to work. It was just that formalities were not in place. The management was even stricter than that of a factory.
The only difference between this place and a factory was that there was no factory building or company. When the opportunity arose, a factory could be established and start operating immediately.
Most of the villagers only knew that Mu Jingzhe was capable, but those who had the chance to work here knew better than anyone else how incredible she was.
However, everyone could tell that they were running a brisk business over there. This was especially evident when one looked at the workers—their condition was completely different from before. This invoked envy in all the villagers.
Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao and Zhao Lan had heard a lot of gossip about them in the village. Although they were furious, there was nothing they could do. When they heard that Mu Jingzhe was earning money, they wanted to earn money with her. However, Mu Jingzhe simply paid no heed to them. All they could do was make oblique remarks next door, slam things, or quarrel among themselves.
As the two families lived next door, they could hear all the commotion. Occasionally, Eldest Brother Shao would lose his temper.
Mu Jingzhe heard it all but simply ignored them.
However, the conflict at home affected the children. Even though Fu, Lu, Shou, and Xǐ didn't dare bully Shao Dong and his siblings anymore, they imitated the adults and gossiped behind their backs.
In particular, they often made fun of Little Bei and Xiao Wu for calling Mu Jingzhe 'Mommy'.
They mocked Xiao Wu by saying, "You're calling any random person 'Mommy' just because she can breastfeed you, huh. I can give you food too. Come on, call me 'Daddy'."
They ridiculed Little Bei as well. "It's fine if that little b*stard calls her Mommy since he doesn't have a mother to begin with, but even you are calling her that. If Second Aunt finds out about this in the afterlife, I don't know how sad she will be."
Fu, Lu, Shou, and Xǐ went around spreading rumors about them. Shao Dong and his siblings' situation at school had improved, and no one dared to bully them. However, there were also people who disliked them, and they started speaking ill of them behind their backs.
Mu Jingzhe was sensitive and sensed the change in their mood, but they refused to tell her what was going on when she asked them.
Later on, she found out from Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao that Little Bei, Shao Dong, Shao Xi, and Shao Nan's biological mother's death anniversary was coming.
The reason Fu, Lu, Shou, and Xǐ would suddenly mention their second aunt was because it would be her death anniversary soon.
They had not remembered her death anniversary so early because they missed their second aunt or anything like that, but because they wanted Mu Jingzhe to feel miserable.
No matter how impressive and arrogant Mu Jingzhe was now, it couldn't conceal the fact that she was a stepmother.
In ancient times, women in her position were regarded as concubines and would have to bow to the first wife. They would never be able to compare to the first wife.
Although she treated the children well, and Little Bei and Xiao Wu had even started calling her 'Mommy', she was still not their biological mother. She was only a stepmother.
It was rare for the eldest branch to find something that upset Mu Jingzhe, so they deliberately let their children learn this and even got them to publicize the matter in the village.
They didn't mind, but the children indeed took it to heart. It was true that they felt terrible.
Mu Jingzhe was speechless as she watched Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao prance around.
She had originally thought that Zhao Lan would also prance around with Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao. However, to her surprise, Zhao Lan didn't say much about the death anniversary this time. Although she kept pulling a long face, she didn't say much.
Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao thought that it would make Mu Jingzhe miserable, but this wasn't the case at all.
She seemed to have forgotten that Mu Jingzhe didn't care about these things now that Shao Qihai was gone.
Although Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao would only be glad to tell Mu Jingzhe the relevant information, Mu Jingzhe didn't ask her. Instead, she chose to ask the children.
"I heard that your mother's death anniversary is in a few days. I'd like to ask how you used to pay your respects. Is there anything in particular that you do?"
The children looked at each other for a moment but didn't say anything. Little Bei even gazed at her cautiously.
Mu Jingzhe laughed. "Why aren't you saying anything? Why are you looking at me like that? Is it inconvenient for you to tell me? I don't mean anything by it. I just want to help you guys prepare."
Little Bei shook her head vigorously. "No, we were afraid… that Mommy would be unhappy."
So they were being considerate to spare her feelings. The foolish children were sad and worried that she would feel terrible.
Mu Jingzhe couldn't help but stroke their heads.
"Thank you for your consideration, but I'm fine with it, so tell me. I have to make preparations before her death anniversary arrives."
Shao Dong, who felt a little uncomfortable having his head stroked, thanked her in a whisper.
"You're welcome."
Shao Xi looked at Shao Dong. At his command, he took on the responsibility of communicating with Mu Jingzhe as he had in the past.
Only then did Mu Jingzhe learn that their biological mother was called Bai Lu.
It was said that she had been named that way because she had been born on Bailu Day[1]. Also, her surname happened to be Bai, so she had been given the name Bai Lu.
Shao Xi spoke a little too much and even referred to Bai Lu as 'Mommy' a few times. When he finished speaking, he was a little embarrassed.
Mu Jingzhe didn't seem to notice. "So it's the day after tomorrow. What did your mother like to eat?"
"Walnut cookies," Shao Xi immediately answered.
"Walnut cookies? Hmm, alright."
Walnut cookies were a famous and tasty snack in that era.
Mu Jingzhe had never known Bai Lu before, but she took this opportunity to get to know her a bit.
It was difficult to find out from the children, but she had no qualms asking Shao Qiyang. When Shao Qiyang returned, she asked him about her.
Shao Qiyang was initially still mad over that conversation, but he came back because he was afraid that she would feel awful. In the end, she was completely fine. He had no choice but to tell her what he knew.
This way, Mu Jingzhe learned about the conflict between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law duo, Zhao Lan and Bai Lu.
It was said that Zhao Lan had been dissatisfied with Bai Lu from the start.
Shao Qihai was the second child. He had Eldest Brother Shao above him and two younger siblings below him. Thus, he was the most neglected child amongst them.
Ever since he was young, he had never been one to say heartwarming words and he'd only known how to work silently. It was only after he'd joined the army, become successful, and started sending an allowance back that his presence had gradually started becoming obvious at home.
Zhao Lan had originally wanted to find a good wife for Shao Qihai in Great Eastern Village, but before she could do anything, Shao Qihai had already found someone.
It was said that an army mate had introduced the girl to him. She was a smart, beautiful city girl with a job.
It was normally a good thing to find such a daughter-in-law, but Zhao Lan was displeased. This was because after they got married, Shao Qihai started to send back less money, saying that he now needed to support his family.
Zhao Lan was unhappy. She had wanted to find Shao Qihai a wife from Great Eastern Village so that she could keep her daughter-in-law at home in order to retain control over Shao Qihai. This way, Shao Qihai would continue sending back his allowance to her.
Alas, Zhao Lan's objections to Shao Qihai's sudden request to get married were futile. As a result, she was immensely displeased with Bai Lu.
Initially, Shao Qihai had asked Zhao Lan to go over to get to know her daughter-in-law before going home to host a dinner party when Chinese New Year came. However, Zhao Lan hadn't gone.
In fact, Zhao Lan had even told him not to bother throwing a wedding banquet in their hometown. She said she didn't have what it took to wait on a daughter-in-law from the city.
[1] the 15th of the 24 solar terms in the Chinese Lunar Calenda
Bai Lu was also stubborn and had insisted on not coming back. Even when she gave birth for the first time, she had two sons but didn't get her mother-in-law to go over to help take care of the children.
The people of Great Eastern Village only knew that Shao Qihai had gotten a wife, but they had never seen Bai Lu.
Later on, Bai Lu had gotten pregnant again and suffered great discomfort during her pregnancy. Shao Dong and Shao Xi were only a year old, and Bai Lu really was in no condition to take care of them, so Shao Qihai had no choice but to look for Zhao Lan.
Zhao Lan only went over because he begged her, and also because she was afraid that Shao Qihai would continue to do this in the future.
However, Zhao Lan didn't fit in when she went to live with them. Bai Lu loved cleanliness. On the contrary, Zhao Lan had many bad habits and didn't like cleanliness, which resulted in a lot of contradictions when it came to taking care of the children.
Through her meticulous upbringing, Bai Lu had taught Shao Dong and Shao Xibai to be clean. They changed their clothes every day and ate very well.
She asked Zhao Lan not to feed the children the food she chewed, saying that it was unhygienic.
There was nothing wrong with what Bai Lu said, but Zhao Lan felt that she despised and looked down on her, a mother-in-law from a rural village. She felt so wronged that she kept crying and complaining.
Later on, the conflict snowballed. Zhao Lan disliked this daughter-in-law and by association, also found her two grandsons an eyesore. She felt that Bai Lu had raised them all wrong.
Later on, Zhao Lan deliberately refused to listen to Bai Lu. The more Bai Lu said that she shouldn't do something, the more pleasure she took in doing it. She deliberately fed the children food that she had chewed and said that this was how children were raised in rural villages. It was also how Shao Qihai had grown up.
Bai Lu was so angry that she vomited and couldn't eat anything.
Though Zhao Lan had supposedly gone there to take care of the pregnant woman and the children, in fact, with her around, Bai Lu's condition got increasingly worse. Bai Lu couldn't take it anymore and asked her to go back, but Zhao Lan purposely refused.
Later on, when Bai Lu was about to give birth and said that she wanted to go to the hospital, Zhao Lan stopped her from doing so. She claimed that there was no need to waste money and that she could just deliver the child, as this was common practice.
Just like that, Bai Lu was forced to stay at home to give birth. She was in a terrible state and kept insisting on going to the hospital, but Zhao Lan didn't care and even dismissed her request as unreasonable.
It was only when she saw Bai Lu go through a difficult labor that Zhao Lan realized that something was wrong. By the time she was taken to the hospital, it was already too late. Bai Lu had suffered a massive hemorrhage and died after giving birth to Shao Nan and Little Bei.
She didn't even get to glance at her newborn babies or say anything before she passed away.
At the time, Shao Qihai happened to be away on a mission. When he returned, he was confronted by Bai Lu's corpse.
Weepy Zhao Lan said that she felt sorry for her daughter-in-law and the children.
However, Shao Dong and Shao Xi remembered Bai Lu's cries and pleas that night.
In their dreams at midnight, they would always remember Bai Lu's cries.
They were too young at the time and didn't remember much, nor were they very sensible back then. However, they vaguely felt that Zhao Lan had caused their mother's death.
Meanwhile, everyone said that she had passed away because she had gone through a difficult labor while giving birth to the twins.
Later on, they never liked Zhao Lan, and Zhao Lan wasn't fond of them either.
This was what Shao Dong secretly told Mu Jingzhe later.
However, no one said anything in public about this. At the time, no one had suspected anything. Even if they had, it wasn't their place to voice those suspicions.
However, with Bai Lu gone, Shao Qihai couldn't cope with four babies all by himself. Zhao Lan had offered to bring them back to their hometown to raise them, saying that Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao could help take care of them. Despite his worry, Shao Qihai had no choice but to agree.
Just like that, Shao Dong and the others had been taken back to Great Eastern Village by Zhao Lan. Shao Qihai had then started sending back his allowance in its entirety again.
Alas, Zhao Lan had never treated them well. All she did was prevent them from starving to death. They had suffered a lot since they were young, and Zhao Lan had kept brainwashing them by telling them that all stepmothers were evil.
Zhao Lan felt that there was no point in Shao Qihai remarrying, as he already had four children. Instead, if she helped raise those children, she could get her hands on his entire allowance.
Unexpectedly, after sending back his allowance for a few years, Shao Qihai had retired from the army after suffering an injury.
Mu Jingzhe knew what had happened then.
The original book didn't mention Bai Lu much, so she hadn't expected such a dramatic backstory.
The reason Shao Dong had told her that he was suspicious was because he was just a child. He had been suppressing this in his heart for so many years, as he'd had no one to say it to. That was why he couldn't help but tell her.
After saying that, he probably regretted saying too much. He only said that he might be remembering it wrong.
"If Grandma really caused Mommy's death, she should be feeling guilty and remorseful. But she's not guilty, and she doesn't treat us well either."
Mu Jingzhe wasn't sure about this either. Although Zhao Lan was wicked, she couldn't directly accuse her of killing Bai Lu. She could only pat Shao Dong's shoulder.
"Don't keep thinking about things that have no answer. Just pay your respects to your mother on her death anniversary."
"Okay." Shao Dong nodded. "I'll treat my younger siblings well in the future and won't let her down."
"You've done enough." Mu Jingzhe's heart ached for Shao Dong.
He was still young, but he was already shouldering so much responsibility.
His narrow shoulders had yet to develop, but he was already shouldering the responsibility of a parent.
"Shao Dong, don't keep thinking that you're the older brother and have to take care of your younger siblings. You can think about yourself more. With me looking after Little Bei and the rest, you can relax a little."
When Shao Dong heard this, a rare hint of confusion appeared in the depths of his eyes.
Think about himself?
He rarely thought about himself. He only remembered that he had to take care of his younger siblings and only took note of what they liked.
Seeing his confused expression, Mu Jingzhe thought for a moment and assigned him a mission.
"For the next two days, think about a hundred things you want to do. You can also write down what you like. We'll check off the items on the list slowly after you write them down. Tell your mother about it when you pay your respects to her on her death anniversary. Strive to complete as many tasks as possible before her next death anniversary."
Shao Dong thought about it seriously. "A hundred items? They can be anything?"
"That's right. You can write down whatever you like, whatever you want to do, or wherever you want to go, etc. You can accomplish those tasks one by one in the future. When you're done, you can put a tick next to each task. Won't you feel especially accomplished by the time you finish going through the entire list?"
Shao Dong nodded. "Okay."
"Remember not to write about your younger siblings. Just write about yourself." Mu Jingzhe emphasized this, afraid that he would write down things related to his younger siblings.
"Okay."
For the next two days, Shao Dong thought hard about what he wanted to do. When he was free, he wrote and drew.
Mu Jingzhe went to town and bought the items for the ancestral worship. She also bought walnut cookies for Bai Lu.
She had never met Bai Lu before, but due to the relationship she had built with the kids, she had complicated feelings for her.
This was the person who had given birth to Little Bei, Shao Dong, Shao Xi, and Shao Nan, the woman who had passed away because of a difficult labor.
Though the kids were pitiful, she was even more pitiful. After all, she had died at a really young age. As a woman, Mu Jingzhe could empathize with her.
In the past, everyone used to call her weird for not getting married. However, married women walked through the gates of hell to give birth to children. If a woman was unlucky, she would pass away just like that.
According to the storyline in the book, Bai Lu had lost her life and the children she had given up her life to give birth to didn't end up living well either. Each of those children suffered a lot of hardships and didn't meet a good end.
"No, I can't think about it anymore. I'm going to cry if I think about it some more."
On the day of Bai Lu's death anniversary, Mu Jingzhe wore dark clothes and dressed the children in dark clothes too.
It happened to be a Saturday, so Mu Jingzhe followed Li Zhaodi's instructions. Li Zhaodi called her foolish for taking the initiative to pay her respects to the first wife when no one was that particular.
Regardless, Li Zhaodi still came to help. She only went back after the preparations were done.
There was only half a day of lessons on Saturday. When Shao Dong and the others returned from class, Mu Jingzhe had finished preparing and went to pay her respects with the children.
Because Bai Lu wasn't buried in Great Eastern Village, the children couldn't even go to her grave to kowtow and offer incense.
Fortunately, Shao Qihai had returned with the memorial tablet. However, he had also become a memorial tablet now.
The couple's memorial tablets had been placed next to each other.
It was only when Mu Jingzhe saw his memorial tablet that she remembered that she had forgotten to take Shao Qihai's taste into account.
"I forgot to ask you what your father likes. We'll buy it next time on your father's death anniversary. Your mother takes priority today."
Shao Xi immediately said, "There's no need."
What death anniversary? He wasn't even dead yet! These were all for their mother, not him.
The children looked at the full table of offerings that Mu Jingzhe had prepared and were very happy. They felt that this way, their mother could eat more in heaven.
In the past, they hadn't been able to prepare much, and their mother had starved as a result. She could eat more this year.
With those thoughts in mind, they silently kowtowed to her.
"You can talk to your mother. You can say whatever you want."
Mu Jingzhe thought that they might be holding themselves back in her presence. After all, Little Bei had just been mocked by the other kids. Thus, she cooked up some excuse and went away.
Unexpectedly, none of the children said anything in the end.
"Why aren't you speaking?" Mu Jingzhe asked helplessly.
"I don't know what to say." Little Bei scratched her head. "Actually, we rarely did this in the past. It was always Brother who secretly took us to pay our respects."
Back then, they didn't have anything good to offer. At most, they would take some fruit and steamed buns that they had saved. They didn't even have eggs and didn't dare make a sound or burn joss paper for fear that Zhao Lan would find out.
Seeing that they weren't used to it, Mu Jingzhe could only speak to Bai Lu herself.
"Don't worry. The children have grown taller and gained some weight over the past few months."
Mu Jingzhe still remembered their current height and weight, so she nagged Bai Lu a little about it.
"Although they're a bit shorter and thinner than normal, I'm sure they'll catch up by next year."
The children couldn't help but laugh when they heard that. Even Shao Dong pursed his lips and smiled.
The walls at home now had records of their height.
Mu Jingzhe said that she would measure their height and weight every three months, and she even wrote it down in her notebook.
In this day and age, there was no electronic scale, only an old-school scale that was usually used to weigh food and pigs. Two people had to carry the scale while the weight was being measured.
However, they were only children, so Mu Jingzhe could carry the scale by herself. When she'd weighed food previously, she had taken the chance to weigh the kids as well.
Mu Jingzhe felt that this was probably what a mother was most concerned about. She told Bai Lu about this and also about the kids losing their baby teeth.
Shao Dong and Shao Xi's front teeth had already fallen out and new ones had grown out. Shao Nan and Little Bei were about to experience the same thing.
In the end, she concluded, "I'll try my best to take good care of them in the future. You can rest assured and reunite with Shao Qihai in the afterlife."
After the ceremony, Mu Jingzhe went to cook.
Because Bai Lu had died during a difficult labor, her death anniversary was actually also Shao Nan and Little Bei's birthday.
However, due to this reason, Shao Nan and Little Bei never celebrated their birthday. They didn't have the means to celebrate it either.
Because it was the day their mother had undergone great torment, Mu Jingzhe didn't intend to celebrate their birthday either. After all, it wasn't appropriate. However, since it was their birthday after all, after some thought, she made them longevity noodles[1] with a poached egg.
After this day, Shao Nan and Little Bei would be six years old. Mu Jingzhe specifically sprinkled a '6' for Shao Nan and Little Bei by using chopped spring onions.
"6! This is a 6!"
"Yes, that means you've turned six." There were no birthday cakes or candles, so Mu Jingzhe could only do some creative thinking here.
"Now that you're six, it means that everything will be smooth-sailing in the future. You won't have to suffer anymore."
Shao Nan and Little Bei propped up their heads and simply gazed at the noodles, for they couldn't bear to eat them.
Mu Jingzhe quickly urged them. "Hurry up and eat them. Don't let the noodles turn soggy. Remember not to break them when you eat them. You have to slurp them in one go. This way, you will be safe from harm and live a long life."
This was Shao Nan and Little Bei's first time celebrating their birthday, so they felt a mix of excitement and nervousness when they heard that. They very much cherished it and gingerly started eating, afraid that they would break the noodle.
Fortunately, they successfully finished slurping the noodle in one shot without breaking it.
"Mommy, I didn't break the noodle. I will live to a ripe old age." Thrilled Little Bei asked for credit the moment she finished eating.
"Mm, Little Bei will live to a ripe old age."
Shao Nan interrupted her. "I didn't break it either."
"Yes, Shao Nan will also live a long life."
Shao Nan: "…"
He called her Mommy, but she wouldn't call him Little Nan. She called one of them Shao Nan and the other Little Bei—what a big discrepancy.
However, Mu Jingzhe was indeed quite good to them, so he quickly added, "Thank you."
His gratitude was sincere.
"You're welcome."
They felt that Mu Jingzhe had worked hard to prepare these dishes. After they finished eating, Shao Xi and Shao Dong insisted that Mu Jingzhe go and rest and let them wash the dishes.
When Mu Jingzhe didn't agree at first, Shao Dong's little face formed a frown, and even Shao Xi was angry.
"Alright, thank you then." Mu Jingzhe finally agreed and thanked them for their thoughtfulness.
"When technology becomes advanced in the future, we can buy a dishwasher. When that time comes, we can simply load the dishes in and they will be washed automatically. There'll be no need for anyone to wash the dishes anymore."
Shao Nan was very interested. "There's something that can wash the dishes automatically?"
"Of course. It will exist in the future. Just like a washing machine." In any case, these appliances existed in the modern age.
"A washing machine? Will clothes also be washed automatically?"
"That's right." Mu Jingzhe thought for a while. The automatic washing machine would become popular in a few years and become one of the three most important items for newlyweds. It wasn't available yet, but the first-generation, hand-operated washing machine in the country had probably been introduced to the world by now. It worked based on the same principles as the drum washing machine, except that it was operated by hand.
When the children heard Mu Jingzhe mention the washing machine and dishwasher, they were delighted. "Mommy, if someone makes these things in the future, won't it be easier for us?"
Upon seeing Mu Jingzhe pick up a broom to sweep the floor, Shao Nan had an idea and asked, "Could there be a sweeping machine too?"
"Yes, there will be a sweeping robot." Mu Jingzhe nodded. "It will sweep and even mop the floor automatically."
Shao Nan's eyes lit up when he heard that. He found it very interesting and even wanted to make it himself.
The children beamed, and so did Xiao Wu.
He was very obedient and sensitive to emotions. As long as his siblings and mother were happy, he would be happy too.
Apart from feeling happy, he was also envious of Shao Nan and the rest. This was because they all knew who their biological mother was, but he didn't.
Fortunately, he also had a mother now.
Xiao Wu wasn't sad, but he was inevitably curious.
What did his mother look like? Did she have curly hair like him? Would she look as pretty as Mommy Mu Jingzhe when she smiled?
Xiao Wu held a piece of charcoal and subconsciously drew his imaginary mother on the ground.
Mu Jingzhe found him. "Xiao Wu, why are you squatting here?"
Upon catching sight of Xiao Wu's portrait, she asked, "Xiao Wu, who did you draw? Eh, it's someone with curly hair."
Xiao Wu panicked and wanted to wipe it off, but Mu Jingzhe still saw the word 'Mommy' underneath.
"Xiao Wu, were you drawing your mother?"
Mu Jingzhe understood. Xiao Wu must be missing his own mother after seeing his siblings pay their respects to Bai Lu.
"No, I don't miss my biological mother. I love Mommy the most."
Xiao Wu explained hurriedly and even hugged Mu Jingzhe. "I was just curious to know what she looked like. I don't miss her. Mommy, don't be angry."
"I'm not angry." Mu Jingzhe laughed and patted Xiao Wu. "Actually, I'm also curious to know who gave birth to you and made you so cute."
Mu Jingzhe now knew a little about Dong, Nan, Xi, Bei's mother, Bai Lu, but the identity of Xiao Wu's mother was still shrouded in mystery.
[1] A longevity noodle is a single noodle which fills the whole bowl, and it is better not to break it when eating it.
Speaking of Xiao Wu's parentage, Mu Jingzhe felt that it was hard to explain in a few words.
No wonder Shao Qihai had become the first love of the novel's female protagonist. He was really quite charming. He had married Bai Lu, who had given birth to four smart children for him, and a mysterious woman had even given birth to Xiao Wu for him.
The book had never mentioned who Xiao Wu's biological mother was; she was an enigma throughout the novel.
Mu Jingzhe scooped up Xiao Wu. "Come on, let's go ask Shao Dong and see how much he knows."
She didn't mind that the kids missed their biological mother. After all, that was their biological mother.
Xiao Wu heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that Mu Jingzhe wasn't feeling upset over this.
When Shao Dong heard the question, he frowned awkwardly. "I don't know either. He only said that Xiao Wu will be our younger brother from now onward. He didn't say anything else."
Therefore, no one knew if Xiao Wu's mother was dead or alive. After Shao Qihai's death, no one knew the answer to this.
Mu Jingzhe didn't realize that Shao Dong and the others had silently changed the way they addressed Shao Qihai from 'Dad' to 'He'. Their tone had also changed.
Since she couldn't get anything out of him, Mu Jingzhe didn't say much. Her attention was attracted by Shao Dong's notebook.
"Have you finished writing the one hundred things you want to do the most?"
Shao Dong felt a little uncomfortable. "Mm, I've written them."
"Can you let me take a look? I want to take a look to understand you better. I'll help you realize these things in the future."
Shao Dong hesitated for a moment before passing the notebook to Mu Jingzhe. "Then don't laugh at me."
It hadn't been easy to come up with this list. At first, it had been fine, but because he had to write a hundred things, he'd slowly started writing down many trivial matters as well.
"I won't," Mu Jingzhe promised. "I won't laugh or let another person see it. This will be our little secret."
Shao Dong pursed his lips. "Okay."
He agreed, but he was still a little embarrassed. "I'll go see Little Bei and the rest."
Although they didn't have to attend classes on Saturday afternoon, their learning hadn't stopped. Little Bei and the rest were still hoping to skip a grade, and they were also learning a foreign language now.
Mu Jingzhe watched him leave before starting to peruse Shao Dong's wishlist.
Shao Dong was too quiet. Despite his young age, he was restrained and he rarely revealed his emotions. To a certain extent, one could gain an understanding of him through this wishlist.
His first wish was written in a very genuine, down-to-earth manner. "Earn money. Earn lots of money. Never starve and freeze again."
Later on, he wrote very honestly about his hopes to become promising and so on. He also wrote that one day, he hoped to go to his mother's grave to offer incense to her.
He wanted to visit the big cities and the capital to look at the raised national flag, as well as go overseas to take a look.
The wishlist he wrote had traces of erased handwriting. Based on this, one could tell that his wishes had been about his younger siblings several times during the process.
The further down the list one went, the more trivial his wishes became. For example, his desire to drink a full cup of soda and eat a chicken drumstick because these were things he had never done before.
Though soda was delicious and Mu Jingzhe had bought them some before, he was used to letting his younger siblings drink it.
Chicken drumsticks were good stuff, so he had to leave them for his younger siblings too. He had never eaten one before.
Mu Jingzhe's heart ached.
Lastly, he had added that he hoped to own a washing machine, a dishwasher, and a floor-cleaning machine in the future.
He included this after being inspired by Mu Jingzhe's words earlier.
However, he was ultimately a future business bigshot. Owning these things wasn't the end; it was only the beginning.
He had added that if no one created these appliances, he wanted to manufacture them himself and sell them all over the country so that everyone could use them and not have to work so hard.
Mu Jingzhe laughed again. "Your business acumen is already active."
After Mu Jingzhe finished reading the list, she tried her best to memorize it. Then, she took out a bottle of soda she had bought previously and found Shao Dong.
"Don't give this to them. Drink it yourself. I'll help you realize your first wish."
Shao Dong took the soda and blushed. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. The next time we slaughter a chicken, I'll fulfill your second wish. I'll give you a big drumstick."
Mu Jingzhe winked at Shao Dong, who smiled shyly. "Okay."
Urged by Mu Jingzhe, he drank an entire bottle of soda.
For the first time, he didn't stop after a small sip. Instead, he really drank until he burped.
Shao Dong felt great. "I also want to manufacture soda in the future." Instead of buying it, Shao Dong wanted to produce it himself.
Mu Jingzhe flashed him a thumbs-up. "Sure, add it to the notebook."
"Mm." Shao Dong took the small notebook and added it seriously.
Only then did Mu Jingzhe go to work.
As she was coming up with designs, she heard the sound of a flute coming from outside.
Xiao Wu was playing the flute in the courtyard. Xiao Wu often played the flute and the erhu. The melodies were very pleasant to the ears and put one in a splendid mood.
The young ladies, who had been busy all the way until the afternoon, instantly perked up when they heard the music.
"Your Xiao Wu is so impressive. The melodies he plays are always so wonderful to listen to."
"Yeah, I feel good hearing that."
Everyone was praising Xiao Wu. Mu Jingzhe was very proud and quietly listened with everyone else.
After a while, the flute music suddenly stopped. Then, they even heard a voice.
Mu Jingzhe didn't care at first, thinking that a villager had come. However, she then heard a sharp rebuke.
Mu Jingzhe went out and happened to see a woman in a dress pushing Xiao Wu over.
"Get out of the way, Mute."
"What are you doing?!" Mu Jingzhe's expression darkened. She stepped forward and pushed the woman as well, helping Xiao Wu up from the ground. "Does it hurt?"
Pain flashed across Xiao Wu's face, but he shook his head. "It doesn't hurt. I'm fine, Mommy."
Xiao Wu's voice was drowned out by the woman's curses and sharp screams of pain.
Given Mu Jingzhe's immense strength, one shove was all it had taken for the woman to fall to the ground.
The fallen woman was in a sorry state and shrieked furiously. "Mu Jingzhe, are you crazy? How dare you push me?! My dress!"
Mu Jingzhe ignored her and dusted Xiao Wu off before looking over.
Upon closer inspection, she realized that this was Shao Qiyun, the youngest sister of the Shao siblings, her only sister-in-law, and Zhao Lan's precious darling.
Shao Qiyun was devoted to going to the city and marrying a rich man who lived there. Usually, she hated going home. It was unknown why she'd suddenly returned today.
Upon looking at her dirty dress, Shao Qiyun was enraged. "This is a dress from the department store. Can you afford to compensate me if you dirty it or tear it?"
As she cursed, she saw Shao Zhong looking at her sulkily, his eyes filled with displeasure.
A trace of disgust flickered past her eyes. Without thinking, she lashed out at him. "What are you looking at? Stupid mute."
Mu Jingzhe's gaze darkened. "Shao Qiyun, watch your words. Xiao Wu isn't mute. He can speak now."
"So what? He's still a fool."
Shao Qiyun looked at her dress in an extremely awful mood. "Nothing good happens when I run into him. What a jinx."
"You came to my house by yourself. I didn't say that you were a jinx, yet you are complaining? If anyone is a jinx, it's you. Do you understand?"
Thanks to her memories, she knew that her sister-in-law hated Xiao Wu the most at home. She abhorred him so much that she wasn't even willing to cast a glance in his direction.
Mu Jingzhe was very dissatisfied. Xiao Wu was her nephew after all. How could she do this to him?